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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bore — to tire
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fine — all right
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. press — to push
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. can — to be able to
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. press — a publisher
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. track — a song
  18. bore — to drill
  19. fine — high quality
  20. can — a tin
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. press — newspapers
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com